Steelcase is by far the largest manufacturer of office products in the world. Their scope of manufacture goes well beyond manufacturing ergonomic office chairs and work areas. Steelcase has made a commitment to “make it our business to study how people work, to fully understand the ever-changing needs of individuals, teams and organizations all around the world. Then we take our knowledge, couple it with products and services inspired by what we’ve learned about the workplace, and create solutions that help people have a better day at work.”
Steelcase A Brief Company Bio
Steelcase has been manufacturing metal office furniture since 1912. Steelcase manufactures everything from ergonomic chairs to complete work centers. They are the largest manufacturer of office products in the world, and are regarded as one of the most innovative as well. Steelcase is not one of the largest name brands in the ergonomic chair arena. However, they do produce two very popular ergonomic office chairs; the Leap and the Think. Both of these chairs are great examples of the quality work that Steelcase is known for. From its humble beginnings in Grand Rapids Iowa Steelcase has grown to include 600 dealer locations worldwide and over 13,000 employees.
One thing that is interesting about steel case is that they emphasize attracting and retaining workers. Much of the research listed on their website emphasizes creating engaging work environments that help workers be more productive. Steelcase seems to be following suit with most other corporations in their adoption of a corporate culture that emphasizes a balanced approach to profitability, workers and environment. They are engaged in several initiatives with nonprofit organizations around the world building public partnerships in education and community development. One thing that I found to be very refreshing is that Steelcase’s website is fresh and engaging.
Steelcase Ergonomic Office Chairs
Although Steelcase designs and manufactures more than thirty different office chairs, they have a limited number of chairs that can be truly be called “ergonomic office chairs.” Granted many of the office chairs they manufacturer have ergonomic features but they cannot really be considered “ergonomic.” Like most top tier chair manufactuers, their office chairs are very comfortable but comfort does not equate to being ergonomically sound. Two of the most well known ergonomic chairs produced by Steelcase are the Leap chair and the Think chair.
The Leap Chair
Steelcase markets the Leap chair as the “first chair that conforms to you.” This chair follows a minimalist, one size fits all philosophy. There are very few controls. Which we strongly advocate. The one very interesting think about it is that it has adjustments for the upper and lower back. The over all philosophy behind this chairs design is that the back does not move as a single unit. This chairs design attempts to move with your back as you adjust your seating position through out the day. See our full review of the Leap chair.
The Think Chair
The Think chair is one of the most minimalistic ergonomic office chairs. Steelcase bills it as being intelligent enough to adjust itself to your needs. “Think is the simplest embodiment of our deep understanding of people who sit.” This chair is definitely a minimalist ergonomic chair. If you dislike all the kknobs and adjustments that come along with owning an ergonomic office chair then you should definitely take a look at this chair. See our full review of the Think chair.
Where To Buy Steelcase Office Chairs
Steelcase has a broad distribution network of both local retailers and online retailers. In my experience you can often find the best deals from online retailers as they have the lowest overhead. You can often find great deals at both Amazon and eBay (Please read this information about purchasing items on eBay). Below you will find a listing of authorized online retailers.
Contacting Steelcase
General Contact Phone Number: 1-800-333-9939.
General contact form on their website: General Contact
To Contact Sales: Sales Inquiry
To Find a local dealer near you: Dealer Locator
For parts, service and warranty work Steelcase points visitors to their website to the local dealer where you bought your product. Here is the link to find a local dealer.
Although they do not mention this on their website, if you purchased your Steelcase product from an online retailer, and you are in need of parts, service, warranty work, you will most likely need to use that online retailer as your first point of contact.
Steelcase In Video
Like so many other companies Steelcase has begun leveraging the power of the internet to reach out to current and future customers of its ergonomic office chair products. I am not sure I really like some of Steelcase’s promotional videos. Unlike some of their competitors their videos are not as focused. I think some of that has to do with how large of a company Steelcase is and how many divergent products it is involved in manufacturing. The first two videos should give you a good idea on Steelcase’s corporate outlook and the last is about their Seating Smart Comfort technology.
